LIFE IS A HIGHWAY!!!

"The look of wild happiness in his eyes was amazing. Many people live their whole lives without that look. The best people in our lives never last long enough, but we have to be grateful for each moment that they get under our skins and in our souls" unknown email from one of Papa Squat's trail buddies

"Papa and I drank beers and dreamed about climbing Mt. Ranier in Washington sometime" He was part mischief and part mentor to me. And I loved him. When I hike the PCT I'm going to have Papa in my heart. And in life, when I start taking myself too seriously I'm going to think, What would Papa do?" Krispie

"one helluva hiker with two tours of the A.T. under his belt and prospects of the PCT in 2004, how can I even begin to think about the pct without him...see ya in hiker heaven brother!" Greenman

"Papa was a ray of sunshine whenever you ran into him and he always made me feel good about myself." Birdman

"I consider myself very lucky to have known Papa and to have had him as a friend. Papa wrote the most beautiful letters, and he truly cared for his friends in a way that few people do."
Snotrocket

James Franklin LeCroy, Jr. - September 30, 1961 - November 27, 2003 Thinking about ya bro!
also know as Papa Squat - a name given to him on his first trek of the AT (Appalachian Trail)

To me, he was my little brother Jimmy (I am the only one on the planet that called him that!) Everyone else called him James. James worked as a kayak instructor/guide for a brief time.The "lemon squeezer" on the Appalachian Trail. "Papa Squat" had been on the trail awhile and lost some weight thus being able to squeeze thru.

SUCCESS! Completion of the Appalachian Trail (1st time) from Springer, Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. James felt most alive when he was on a trail somewhere! He was so funny and entertaining and everyone loved him! We miss you James! Happy Birthday in Hiker Heaven!

Palms versus Pines

The pine trees in my "woods" on our property. The ones still standing after DH eradicated approximately 26 trees that he deemed too close to the house. Pine trees are known to snap, crack, split, drop limbs and so forth. They tend to be inflexible and do not always weather storms very well. Pines tend to leave a "big mess" when tossed to and fro. In defense of the pine tree, they are majestic, regal, familiar, true and evergreen. Plus the needles make great baskets!

The lovely palms of St. Augustine, Florida. Palms weather storms by bending and swaying.

The palms are graceful under the onslaught of high winds, rain, floods and the tropical storms and hurricanes rampant in coastal areas of the world.

My friend Jayne having lived on the coast most of her adult life, of course, loves palm trees! She recently posted about palm trees and we also had a discussion about trees, nature and the many, many topics we find ourselves discussing on our Saturday excursions. She mentioned that she would like " to be graceful, bending, swaying, and flexible in order to weather all the storms of my life." I frequently think about the pines in my yard and how they snap and break at the slightest provocation. How they loose their needles and do not withstand storms very well and how often I resemble the pines as I am forever loosing my needles! I have always loved palm trees from the very first vision of them as a young child moving to a new country. I relate to them being graceful, swaying and bending. The palms lift up their skirts during the storms like a true southern belle implying that whatever forces or adversity served their way will be weathered with grace, dignity and a certain aplomb! Each time I view the palms in the midst of severe storms, I think...wow...I want to bounce back intact just like that! So Jayne, thanks for the reminder! I am striving to embrace the wonderful qualities of both the palm and the pine in a healthy balance. So are you in balance...are you more palm like or more pine like?

P.S. I will be getting up close and personal with the sand, sea, and palms for an extended weekend Friday. WOOHOO...color me happy! Plus I "get to" play in the sand with my grandchildren. Jayne, hopefully Kristi, and a few others will be meeting at the beach for our henna tattoos, shopping and a glorious fun time!!!